A young athlete making his Olympic debut encountered a serious accident during the time trials, necessitating surgery.
Luke Plapp, a 23-year-old cyclist from Victoria, Australia, crashed while competing in the men’s Olympic cycling time trials in Paris on Sunday morning.
He lost control after the 13.1km mark and underwent abdominal surgery overnight.
Currently, he is recovering at the hospital with support from his family and the Australian team doctor, and is reported to be in a ‘stable condition’ by the Australian Olympic Committee.
At the time of his crash, Plapp was just two seconds behind the leader, Wout van Aert from Belgium, and had secured the fourth-fastest time during the trials.
Rainy conditions made the race particularly hazardous, especially in the technical middle section where Plapp fell.
Video footage of the incident surfaced online, depicting the cyclist struggling to regain his footing before receiving assistance from a member of the Australian support team.
The Olympics organization did not release the footage, and many online users expressed that sharing such content was inappropriate; one commenter on X stated, ‘Not nice to see.’
Australian cyclist Luke Plapp, 23, from Victoria, crashed during the men’s Olympic cycling time trial in Paris on Sunday morning
Plapp came off his bike after the 13.1km checkpoint and needed abdominal surgery overnight but is now in a ‘stable’ condition, according to the Australian Olympic Committee
Supporters of Plapp expressed their admiration for his performance and extended wishes for his recovery via social media.
‘Gutted to see Luke Plapp crash out. He was one of my underdog picks for a medal,’ remarked one fan.
‘Tragic to learn of Luke Plapp’s crash in the Men’s ITT. The roads proved perilous in the wet weather. I hope he recovers quickly,’ added another.
Plapp is a three-time national road race champion and a two-time national time trial champion.
He is scheduled to participate in the road race alongside fellow Australian athletes Michael Matthews and Simon Clarke on Saturday.
The AOC will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
Plapp is a three-time national road race champion and two-time national time trial champion and he is still scheduled to ride the road race alongside other Aussie athletes on Saturday
